THE SQUADRON—nickname Firebirds—was formed on June 6, 1916, and soon set about introducing the new Sopwith SE5 fighter/scout into service.

Between 1917-18 several first world war “aces” flew with the squadron, including Captain Albert Ball, a founder member who was killed in May 1917 and posthumously awarded the VC.

Post-war cutbacks saw the squadron disband in January 1920, but eight days later it was reformed at Aboukir, Egypt, this time equipped with Sopwith Snipes.

The unit was officially disbanded on September 23, 1922, but elements were hastily formed in a flight and moved to Turkey during the Chanak crisis, remaining in-theatre until August 1923 under the control of 208 Squadron at Constantinople.

Between the wars, the squadron flew a succession of bi-plane fighters until, in May 1938, the Hurricane arrived, and it was with this aircraft that air cover was provided for the Dunkirk evacuation.

The Hurricanes flew for the entire period of the Battle of Britain in the south of England. They were replaced with Typhoon ground-attack aircraft in September 1941.

The full potential of the aircraft was not realised until fighter-bomber operations started in November 1943, and the next summer the squadron converted to Tempests and concentrated on anti-V1 (flying bomb) patrols before moving to France in September.

No. 56 Squadron remained in Germany until it was renumbered No. 16 in March 1946, reforming the next day at Bentwaters with the renumbering of No. 124 Squadron.

The following eight years were spent flying a variety of Meteor jet fighters until, in 1954, the ill-fated Supermarine Swift replaced them. Hunters arrived in May 1955, and these served until 1961 when the first Lightning twin-engined interceptors began to arrive.

During the mid-1960s, the squadron was chosen as Fighter Command’s official demonstration team, and nine aircraft were often seen at airshows.

Following a four-year stay in Cyprus, the squadron converted to Phantoms in 1976, finally retiring the last of these in 1992 when the squadron number was assigned as the Reserve Squadron identity for the Tornado F3 Operational Conversion Unit at Coningsby.

At the end of March 2003, No. 56 moved to RAF Leuchars to allow the airfield to be readied for Eurofighter Typhoon operations.

Its final role was as Tornado F3 operational conversion unit, training fighter pilots and navigators.

The Leuchars-based variant of the Tornado is armed with eight air-to-air missiles and a gun with the singular purpose of policing the skies and if necessary, shooting down hostile aircraft.